Return of the Guardians: Innocence
by KattRai
Summary: Pitch has been defeated, but he's not the only forgotten spirit longing for recognition. There are others who would rather spite our world and destroy humanity than be known by it, and one such spirit is rising - but her goal is not just the destruction of humanity, but to rule over the spirits as well. Perhaps the Guardians are needed again - but not without unexpected help.
1. Chapter 1

"Shut up, stupid orphan. What would you know about anything? Your parents were druggies!"

"You don't know anything!" She yelled back, indignantly. "Besides, even if they happen to be druggies-which they weren't- that wouldn't have anything to do with me. At least I can pass trig, you're still still stuck on pre algebra!"

The senior, a superstar athlete, scowled at her. He was actually in algebra 2 because he failed it the year before. The bell rang, and he motioned for his posse to follow him as he left, spitting vulgar descriptions of the innocent 16 year old.

Usually, Ashling didn't snap like that. She shouldn't have corrected Aslan's star player like that, he could make her school life more miserable than it already was. She should have stuck with her blend in and stay invisible tactic. It had started to make people forget her-which would be better than how they all whisper about her now.

She wandered towards her home. Ashling hated riding the bus, she preferred the quiet walk back to the adoption center on her own. The quiet walk often added a stark contrast to life at school and at the center. As she arrived, she stared at the rather large, old-fashioned house which she stayed at. There was a tinge of Self-satisfaction at The realization that it was Friday night and she had no homework as she stepped up onto the porch that she had been found on and walked through the door.

"Hey, Ash welcome back. Glad to see you made it through Another school week" Said Dimitri brightly smiling at her she walked into the living area.

"Yeah, that's a huge accomplishment these days." Ash sighed as she flopped down onto the pathetic Excuse for a couch.

"Why did have that many mirrors in the school?" Asked Rowan, Dimitri's twin brother. His green eyes twinkled mischievously as he tease her. He seemed to take a special enjoyment from the endeavor. Usually that's the only way that she could tell them apart-Demetri never teased her like Rowan did.

"Oh shut up, leave the poor girl alone." Dimitri told his brother. He didn't sound too irritated, but Dimitri never did. "She goes through enough at school. You know that."

"Well, whatever. Have fun with the little brats. We're going out tonight," Rowan commented, addressing Ashling.

Dimitri stepped over and gave Ashling a quick Kiss on the cheek before stepping out the door with his brother.

Ashling sank down in her seat, Enjoying a few minutes of peace before the two young children came running downstairs. The little girl led the chase followed by her older brother. They were two of the only children that were actually biologically related. The little boy - a goofy looking strawberry blonde- had a stuffed dragon about as big as him on his head. He was chasing his sister who squealed in amusement. Ashling stood up, slightly alarmed that the children were playing with the one keepsake her family had left her.

"Okay, enough with the Dragon," she said, "lets go put Jack away."

"Awww!" Groaned Greyson - the boy - who everyone just called Grey. "But we were having fun!"

"Maybe, But do you think Jack would have much fun if you got his wing torn off?" Ashling challenged him gently. Both children quieted.

"No..." Ali, Grey's little sister, admitted guiltily.

"Do you want Jack to not have fun?" Ash asked.

"No..." Ali replied again, as Grey grumbled unintelligibly.

"Then let me go put him up and I'll find us another game to play." Ash smiled at the two kids as she walked upstairs to her room. She really adored the two, she just didn't want them to tear up her dragon - it was the only thing her parents had left her. She presumed that they had won it at a carnival given its rather large size and typical, four-legged-design and light, blue colour. She set Jack down on her bed, then made her way back downstairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack Frost grinned amused as he followed the two children down the stairs. He laughed with them, and shouted to little Ali, "Watch out! Don't let the evil dragon get you!" She squealed in delight.

The older girl on the couch, Ash, seemed upset that they were having so much fun.

"Okay, enough with the dragon." She said to the children, who were immediately deflated.

Jack frowned and said, "What gives? We're just having some fun!" She ignored him, obviously. She was out of his age range. Usually no one believed in much of anything once they turned 14, except boys, shopping, and make up of course. The little boy echoed his statement.

"Maybe, But do you think Jack would have much fun if you got his wing torn off?"

Jack straightened up from where he leaned against the banister, temporarily confused at this statement, but then realized what she was saying. He materialized a pair of small icy wings over his back and leaned over one shoulder to break one off. He proceeded to put on And put on an Extravagant show of pain and agony, falling it to the ground and tumbling down the stairs. He laid there limp for a few moments before sitting up with a dorky grin on his face.

Ali watched this display before replying with a guilty "no."

"Do you want Jack to not have fun?" She proceeded to question.

Jack then responded - knowing she couldn't hear him - By saying "If I didn't have fun, I wouldn't be Jack Frost!" With a sense of mock-sincerity. "Not having fun would kill me!"

Again Ali responded, still sounding genuinely upset, with another "no..." However, Grey made an attempt to stifle his laughter. The small, dark headed girl went upstairs with the dragon named Jack.

"Why did you have to make me want to laugh when she was getting on us?" Grey asked. "That wasn't nice!"

"I was Just having some fun. It's what I do." Jack told him.

"But it still wasn't nice!" Grey Informed him again.

"But it was fun." Jack repeated. "All the same, I digress. I'm sorry."

Ali had turned the T.V. on while they were talking and a voice just finished informed Them about the latest team victory... Or loss. Jack couldn't tell which one - it was too late in the report. However the next issue was far more interesting, especially to the spirit of Winter: an apparently extinct volcano had erupted in Washington. Jack walked over and leaned on the back of the couch to listen.

"What's so interesting?" Little Ali asked him. He was hesitant to say anything to the little girl about the explosion or seriousness of the matter. He tentatively opened his mouth to talk, but at that moment Ash leaned against the couch beside him, listening to figure out what the story was about.

Then she said to the children, "Lets go upstairs, we can play shoots and ladders."

The children happily agreed, ignorant to the devastation on the news. Jack would have liked to follow them, but he lingered a few more minutes to find out more about the baffling eruption. Things considered dead typically didn't suddenly return to live without... Intervention.


	3. Chapter 3

Ash finally finished tucking the two kids into bed. Just as she was about to leave to let them sleep, Grey stopped her by asking a question.

"Can you tell us a story?"

"I suppose, what do you want to hear about? I could tell you about Old Man Winter, or Santa Claus? Or maybe about Jack Frost." She suggested, stepping over to tell Them a bedtime story. Jack's ears immediately perked up at the mention of his name. 'Wonder What she's going to say about me...' He thought to himself.

"Tell us about Jack Frost!" Grey demanded excitedly.

"Okay. Well, a long time ago, there was no cold weather. There was no such thing as a white Christmas. There was no snow, or cold, or frost. There was only Spring, Summer, and Fall." She paused, letting the idea sink in.

"Oh, come on! I'm not THAT old!" He snorted, smiling at the thus-far absurdity of the story.

"Then, along came a boy named Jack. His full name was Jackson, but no one ever called him that," she added, smiling at Grey. "He got bored with the idea that the weather was always the same - no true deviations from the heat. Only sun, clouds, and rain. He also had a little sister named Alicen," Ash stopped to touch the little girl's head. "One day, while he was out with his little sister, showing off his skill at climbing trees and hanging upside-down, he noticed something in the tree. He reached for it and grabbed it. As he did, he lost his grip on the tree... and fell." She paused dramatically.

"Hey!" Jack protested indignantly. "I never fall out of trees! Ever!" But of course, the story went on.

"However, because of this magical staff that he picked up, the wind picked him up an kept him from crashing to the ground. 'You have a magic stick!' his little sister told him. 'Sticks are for magicians - I have a staff,' He said, boasting his chest out and trying to look majestic." The little kids laughed as Jack performed what Ash was saying. "Then he decided to find out what other powers the staff gave him. He drug it on the ground, as he ran around his sister with his bare feet. Something neither of them had ever seen before appeared on the ground: it was ice! His sister giggled with delight, and jack ran around creating patterns and pictures until everything was cover with ice. His sister tried to run after him on this new mysterious substance, and fell." Jack froze, ending his performance suddenly. 'Is she going to tell them... No, she can't know that. Is... Is She going to make my sister die?' He wondered, feeling a deep cut being torn open in his mind. She went on.

"Luckily for her, she had a good big brother who cared about her and saved her from falling through the ice. Eventually, this boy became known as Jack Frost. He's the reason we get snow days off from school. He created winter, along with Old Man Winter of course. He's why you can draw on the frosty windows in the mornings." She says with a smile.

Having completed her story, she leaned forward to kiss their foreheads, and told them to sleep well and have good dreams. She stood to leave, but

Grey stopped her. "Hey Ash?"

"Hmm?" Ash turned.

"Who's your favorite guardian?"

Jack Frost leaned in, curious, though expecting a stereo-typical answer like Santa Clause. Girls usually chose the Easter Bunny.

"Guardian? Where'd you hear that term?" Ash asked in a mild mixture of Intrigue and amusement.

"Well, they... They guard stuff. Like... Like memories. And childhood," replied Ali.

Ash laughed. It reminded Jack of small silver bells. "Well, I guess I don't know who you call guardians, but... My favorite is Jack Frost."  
Jack looked surprised, and burst out, "What? Why?" But of course, no answer came.

A moment of silence hung there, so after turning to glance at Jack, Grey inquired, "how come?"

"Well... He's an orphan, like us. He doesn't have parents. And he's not some old guy, or a pathetic little bunny -" To the part about Bunny Jack almost cracked up laughing - "He's just about my age. And besides, he reminds me of you, Greyson. Fun, if not a little bit moody, and a good big brother."

Grey nodded and turned in his bed to go to sleep.

Ash shut the lights out as she left, stepping through Jack as she did. She paused outside the door and sighed. "I wish I could still believe in such childish notions," she said to herself. "I wish I had someone to comfort me and tell me these stories as I went to sleep." Her voice lowered to just above a breath. Jack could tell she had tears in her eyes. She stepped back to her room and fell onto her bed, hugging her jack-dragon.

"At least I have you, Jack," she murmured into the big dragon plush. Jack Frost didn't know what she was thinking about... But it made her cry. He knew she wasn't a child anymore, but pity overwhelmed him.

He felt like he should be protecting her.

* * *

A/N: Don't worry! The action is coming soon! This is still in the exposition stage of things, we're introducing the characters and setting. If you're here for romance, you're probably in the wrong place. As of right now, you're not going to get any. Sorry, but I'm the author, so what I say goes... Do let me know what you think so far, and if you have any ideas run them by me! I may just like them! :)


	4. Chapter 4

After Ash fell asleep, Jack wasn't feeling too peppy. Actually, he felt a little depressed. He decided to try and cheer himself up. After all, it's not like this orphanage was the only place in the world with sad stories. This thought had the opposite affect on Jack.

It was late in the fall, so he decided to frost some windows up before he left. As he left through the window in Ash's room that led directly out to the roof, he got an idea.

'I wonder if I can get someone as old as that girl to see me?' He thought, as he left a pile of snow right outside of her window- only hers, though. After he finished, he glided through the rest of the little town in Washington, covering everything in a layer of ice. By the time he got done, it was beautiful.

It then came to Jack's attention that he only got the isolated section of what appeared to be a forest around the town, so he went on and made his way through the forest, frosting everything as he went. Just before dawn, Jack ran into an old man - a really old man. Old Man Winter, to be exact.

"'Sup?" Jack asked, sliding to a stop.

"What's up? What's up?!" Exclaimed Old Man winter, as he paced anxiously. His hand stroked a beard that tapered from his waist to the cold ground. "Something's wrong. My house exploded earlier today!"

"What." Jack responded flatly, not comprehending Winter's words, and half -wondering if senility was catching up with him.

"My house... Exploded," The old man spoke more slowly, "you know, the volcanoe that blew today? The very, very DEAD volcanoe? I lived in it, and there was not a drop of magma left! Otherwise, I wouldn't live in it."

Jack stared at him. "So it really was just a mountain. A mountain in which... Lava materialized... Without warning... Or scientific reasoning..." The idea that a spirit would do that sort of thing shocked Jack. "Who would do that!?" He asked, even a bit angered that someone would put so many lives in danger.

"Apparently someone with an explosive personality," the old man replied. Jack was not amused. The old man shook his head, causing his beard to sway.

"I don't know." Winter replied more seriously this time. "I guess someone long forgotten. Someone who wants to be remembered again. Remember the Mayan spirits? They placed that calendar for some archeologists to find. It got them many people who at least believe in their prophesies again."

"Yes, but a calendar that supposedly predicts the apocalypse is just a big practical joke. Blowing up an extinct volcanoe that has thousands living around it? That's a little bigger." Jack said.

"Well some spirits are more wrathful than others. The Mayan spirits used to be, but after the violent culture quit believing in them, they calmed down quite a bit." Old Man Winter had this almost remineciant look as he remembered some of the ancient cultures that had long been extinct. "There are many volcanic spirits around... Most of them used to be worshipped as gods, but are no longer. That makes all of them reasonable suspects, no?"

"We have to figure out who it is, because they can't be allowed to keep doing this. Killing people with obviously active volcanoes is one thing- it's nature- but reviving long dead ones?" Jack was furious with whoever had done this. The spirit had shown no respect for precious human life.

"Well it's not any of the Romans or Greeks." Winter observed, "They still get plenty if recognition. The Norse are getting their fair share lately too... Hmm..." He paused, stroking his long beared thoughtfully. "Well, there is one who is particularly spiteful. But even without believers, she was still a volcanic spirit before she was a goddess and could still be quite a powerful enemy, even for the Guardians." This made Jack's stomach lurch in a way. Taking down a weak enemy was one thing, but a spirit who could take plain old mountains and turn them into volcanoes? He didn't like that thought at all. He needed to tell the others.

"Who is she?" Jack asked, suddenly feeling a familiar old blaze of emotion rising in his chest. He would risk his life to protect kids... That was why the moon had revived him.

"It is Pele." Old Man Winter told him gravely. "She is the Hawaiian lava bringer."

* * *

A/N: So, I feel like I should stop and apologize for all spelling and formatting errors. I've been writing this entire story on my phone using notepad and google docs. My iPhone is really weird and keeps capitalizing words in the middle of a sentence and not taking punctuation. It also keeps trying to autocorrect stuff that makes no sense and missing other spelling errors.

Also, I don't have any time to do homework and breath, much less write during the school week. This means that the majority of my writing and uploading will be done over the weekend! Please recommend to friends and keep letting my know what you think! Pm me if you have any ideas, we might just use them. Your encouragement inspires me and makes me feel like I should keep writing this story!


	5. Chapter 5

Ash sleepily drug herself out of bed, she wasn't a morning person. As she stretched her back out, she noticed the windows were all frosted up. This peeked her curiosity as it was early and ice was pretty to look at. She suddenly realized when a blast of cold air blew in at her that someone had opened her second story window. Then she saw snow. She had just woke up, and she didn't realize that the snow was only outside of her window.

"Grey! Ali! Come here, you have to see this!" She called, still staring out her window. She knew that they'd be up because they always woke up before her. At 8:45, it didn't really matter if she woke anyone else up anyway.

The two little kids bounced through the door a few minutes later, and then someone taller appeared behind them. Ash didn't notice him, she was still staring at the snow.

"What? What is it?" Grey asked excitedly, bounding to her side. He gasped when he saw the snow and then continued with, "Ali! Ali! It snowed, Ali!"

Ali appeared at Ash's other side, she loved the snow. Suddenly a deeper voice broke in and startled Ash.

"That's strange, it didn't snow anywhere else... There's ice everywhere, but no snow." Dimitri observed with curiosity lacing his voice.

"Dimitri! You..." Ash started, but her words were drowned out by the two little kids excitedly yelling.

"It's Jack Frost! It's Jack Frost! He was here last night!" They both squealed in unison. "He even left a little note! The snow! See? See? It's Jack Frost!"

Ash ruffled Grey's hair with a giggle. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if the kids knew something she didn't... Or if she knew something they didn't - the more likely scenario. And there for a moment - just a moment - she thought she saw a footprint in the snow. She blinked and shook her head - it was gone.

After a few minutes of near-incoherent babbling, the children were called down to do their chores. Dimitri laughed. "Don't you miss being Young enough to believe in anything?" '_If only you knew the half of it.' _She thought, nodding and smiling at the tall, green eyed, blonde boy.

"Yeah, I do," she said.

* * *

That night, Ash and the children were out playing in the back yard. She was pushing Grey on an old tire swing that hung from a fairly old oak tree. It was cold, but the kids were having too much fun to notice.

Ash's fingers ached from the cold as she pushed the old tire. Grey yelped in delight at the sudden acceleration. As she pushed, she twisted it a little, so the tire spun as it swung. Then she stepped back by Ali and shoved her cold bare hand up under her arms to keep them warm. She glanced up at the dark sky, and what she saw made her gasp.

"What?" Little Ali asked, looking up at ash, then following her state to the night sky. She too, was overwhelmed with a childish wonder. Grey noticed that his audience was no longer paying attention to him, and he, too, looked to see what the two girls found so amazing. When he saw it, he forgot all about the swing, and stared at it speechlessly.

Ash had seen the Northern Lights before, they had even been really bright over some of the recent summer months. She'd bever seen them this bright before, though, and especially not during this time of the winter. The beautiful blues and greens were crisper than any picture or painting she'd ever seen. They were the most spectacular thing she'd seen in a very long time.

"Woah." Grey mumbled, barely breaking the silence.


	6. Chapter 6

Bunnymund's whiskers twitched in irritation as he vocalized his thoughts loudly.

"Why on earth are we all here again, North? Did you get another one of those belly feelings?" He demanded in his heavy Australian accent

"I don't know, I didn't call us all here. I just happened to notice that my lights were going off." North huffed back. Everyone stared at one another as they tried to figure out who had called them there. The newest guardian appeared to have not noticed the lights- or at least, he hasn't arrived yet.

After a few minutes(about half an hour) of the guardians trying to figure out who calls them there, the newest member stepped in. He wore a black and white pinstripe suit with a matching fedora, plus a clip-on tie(since he couldn't figure out how to work a real one). This outfit was greeted with facial expressions varying from the Sandman's blank, almost-amused look to Bunnymund's "WTF?" face. Even the elves stopped in their tracks... Then proceeded to burst out laughing.

"What in the world has gotten into you, boy?" North asked, with almost fatherly concern.

Above the sandman, images of scenes from old, 1950's mobster movies flashed made from his magic dream sand. Finally, they ended with what appeared to be Jack stepping out of a movie screen, or TV.

"What? I'm an official guardian now, so I found some business-ey clothes. You know, to be official. Tooth and North get to dress up, can't I?" Jack replied breezily, shrugging. "Anyway, _I _am the one who called you here. Old Man Winter's house blew up."

There was a silence. Then Bunnymund broke it with, "What?"

"Old Man Winter," Jack repeated. "His house blew up. You may not know, but as it turns out he lives in St. Helens."

"So?' Bunnymund again sounded unenthused.

"St. Helens is an extinct volcano. The Old Man told me himself there was no lava left at all." Jack explained. He waited as expressions changed and realization of what this meant set in.

"That's a problem then," North pointed out. "Well, what are we to do about it? That sort of thing can't happen without help. Any thoughts on who did this?"

Jack opened his mouth to reveal his personal suspect, but the Sandman flashed images above his head - Hawaii, volcanoes, and finally a silhouette of a woman, hair clearly curly, but lacking features.

"That doesn't help," Bunnymund alerted him, folding his arms.

"But he's right," Jack said. "That's Pele. I heard of her from the Old Man. She's a wrathful kind of volcano spirit."

"So then we need to find her, and try to talk to her," Tooth suggested.

"I don't think talking is going to be the most productive action," Jack told her, looking a bit uncertain. "Like I said, she's a rage spirit."

"There's one thing you have to learn, boy. We're supposed to be the good guys. We have to at least try - it's our job to do things the noble way, just in case." North alerted Jack, shaking his head.

Jack still looked uncertain. "I suppose," he mumbled. "I still don't think it'll help. Bunny, surely you agree?"

Bunnymund simply shrugged. "Not effecting me much yet, mate. I still have all sorts of work to do, so if this clears up the problem nice and quick, all the better for me." Jack sighed inwardly, a bit uneasy about the with the notion of having to talk to this Pele character. "So anyway, where do we find her?"

There was a momentary pause. Everyone just stared at each other for a few moments. "Maybe we can go back to Saint Helen and try to track her," Tooth suggested. "Or ask if anyone has seen her."

"Well, considering all the spirits either got _blown up _and-or cleared the area, I doubt asking around will help." Bunny shot the idea down pretty quickly, flicking one ear. "Any other ideas?"

"We could always ask other gods," Jack added. The Sandman flashed an image of Hawaii above his head, looking rather frustrated with them. The others simply stared for a minute.

"Well, _I _feel stupid now. Anyone else?" Jack finished, glancing over the other guardians.


End file.
